HC Deb 09 January 2002 vol 377 cc865-6W
Mr. Bercow

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many export licence applications were received by her Department from companies based in the Buckingham constituency in each year since 1997; how many were (a) granted and (b) refused each year; and what the (i) average and (ii) maximum time taken to process applications was in each year. [24841]

Nigel Griffiths

These records are not kept on a constituency basis.

Details of all export licensing decisions together with information on performance in processing standard individual export licence applications are published in the Government's Annual Reports on Strategic Export Controls, copies of which are available in the Libraries of the House.

Mr. Andrew Turner

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what weight she places on the protection of jobs in areas of high unemployment when considering(a) Form 680 applications and (b) export licence applications. [25734]

Nigel Griffiths

The processing of Form 680 applications for the advance approval for promotion prior to formal application for an export licence is the responsibility of the Ministry of Defence.

All relevant export licence applications are considered on a case-by-case basis against the Consolidated EU and national arms export licensing criteria, including the potential effect on the UK's economic, financial and commercial interests. I refer the hon. Member to the reply from my right hon. Friend the Member for Neath (Peter Hain), the Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, to my hon. Friend the Member for Crawley (Laura Moffatt) on 26 October 2000, Official Report, columns 199–203W.

Mr. Andrew Turner

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the value of business covered(a) by Form 680 applications and (b) by export licence applications (i) granted and (ii) turned down each year since 1 May 1997. [25735]

Nigel Griffiths

The processing of Form 680 applications for the advance approval for promotion prior to formal application for an export licence is the responsibility of the Ministry of Defence.

The value of standard individual export licence (SIEL) applications for which a licence was issued is published by destination in the Government's Annual Reports on Strategic Export Controls, copies of which are available in the Libraries of the House.

It would entail disproportionate cost to establish the value of business covered by SIEL applications refused in each year since 1 May 1997.

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